68 Davenport University Career Services Guide It is hard to know exactly what situational questions an interviewer will ask, but look at the job description and decide what areas they will likely focus on. To start, be prepared for STAR answers that relate to all of the following: Communication | Teamwork Customer Service | Leadership Time Management SITUATIONALINTERVIEWS Example Question Give an example of when you provided great customer service. Situation Set the scene. What was the specific situation you were involved with. DO NOT pick a daily situation or duty you performed because it will be too general. This should relate to a specific project or moment in time. In my time with Enterprise Rent-A- Car, customer service was always of the utmost importance. There was a customer that would fly into the airport every week and was always grouchy, so people always tried to avoid helping him. Task What was the end goal or obstacle you faced? I decided to focus on being the customer’s go-to person and made sure they consistently had a positive experience. Action What specific action did you take to accomplish the task. Keep focused on YOURSELF and YOUR ACTIONS and do not get bogged down in the unrelated details. Do NOT dwell on coworker’s or boss’s short-falls, mistakes or issues you’ve had with them. I made a reminder every week to set aside the specific car the customer liked and made him feel like a spacial customer. I would have his contract ready so I only needed to check his license, swipe his credit card and send him on his way in a timely manner. Result What was the outcome? Take credit for what happened. Give the story closure. What did you accomplish? Always end on a positive note even if the result did not achieve the result you intended. What did you learn from the mistake? After only a few weeks, I had built such a great relationship with him that he would even choose to wait in my line just to work with me! Elaborate with direction! These questions are all about the art of story-telling. When an interviewer asks for “an example of” or “a time when,” give them a STAR Answer: GIVEASTARANSWERTO BEHAVIORALQUESTIONS